Rufous-tailed Hawk
Buteo ventralis
Scarce and often rather local hawk of temperate rainforest and edge, adjacent open and semiopen areas. Looks similar to the Red-tailed Hawk of North America. Hunts from perches, less often in flight. Light morph has dark leading edge to underwing; adult has diagnostic rusty tail with narrow dark bars. Rare dark morph has dark body plumage, adult tail washed grayish; immature has broader, blunter wings than very similar dark-morph immature of Variable Hawk.
Identification
The rufous-tailed hawk is similar to the red-tailed hawk. It was first recorded by Charles Darwin in Patagonia while on his voyage of the Beagle. The rufous-tailed hawk is a medium-sized hawk with a wing span of 45–60 cm. The overall size range of the hawk is 54–60 cm. There are two different colorations of the rufous-tailed hawk. The more common pale version of the hawk has a blackish brown upper parts, with a darker cap and cinnamon feathers along the side of the head and neck. The belly is white with dark markings and reddish brown coloration on it. The dark version is basically all black with whitish edging on the feathers. The call of the rufous-tailed hawk sounds like kee-ahrr.
Taxonomy
Genus: Buteo; Family: Accipitridae; Order: Accipitriformes.
- Scientific name
- Buteo ventralis
- Authority
- Gould, 1837
- Order
- Accipitriformes
- Family
- Accipitridae
- Genus
- Buteo
Range and habitat
The rufous-tailed hawk has been spotted living in a number of different habitat types, including evergreen beech forest, mature forest and new growth forest that have been burned over, and finally in open country. The best theory for their ideal habitat was developed by Figueroa et al. (2000), Trejo et al. (2006), and Rivas et al. (2009), who all suggested that rufous-tailed hawks' ideal habitat is somewhere with high trees near open areas that are good for hunting for prey. So far, there have been no reports of the rufous-tailed hawk living in human areas like cities or abandoned buildings.
- Migration
- Resident species
Behavior
Migration pattern: Resident species.
Conservation
Population trend: stable.
- Population trend
- stable
Photos
Distribution
Bird Calls
Other Birds
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Suthora davidiana
A tiny pingpong ball of a bird, this parrotbill flits amongst bamboo stands, usually in hilly mixed forest. Tends to be quiet and retiring but can small roving flocks often be detected by chattering twitter. Small and brownish overall, with a black throat and an orange-toned head. Short tail (unusual amongst parrotbills) gives it a bulbous-headed appearance.
Brown Thornbill
Acanthiza pusilla
Small bird with thin pointed bill. Upperparts brown, underparts grayish brown, with dark red eye, reddish-brown forehead, and white throat with dark streaking. Similar Tasmanian Thornbill has longer tail and rufous-brown panel on wings; Inland Thornbill has grayer upperparts, more streaking on the breast, and a longer tail; and Striated Thornbill has more greenish upperparts, thin white streaking in reddish-brown cap, and pale eyebrow. Inhabits a wide variety of shrub habitats, where usually seen in small groups or pairs.
Chinese Sparrowhawk
Tachyspiza soloensis
Attractive accipiter of wooded habitats. Adult gray above with orange-suffused white underparts; also note bright yellow cere (skin around the nostrils). In flight, solid black wingtips stand out against otherwise pale underparts, diagnostic for this species. Juveniles dark brown above and streaky below, similar to Japanese Sparrowhawk, but underwing coverts unmarked or very lightly marked instead of heavily marked as in Japanese.
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